PROV 8:1 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 8:1–36: Wisdom calls out to people and reminds them of the benefits of being wise

In contrast to the previous section describing the adulterous woman, this section describes personified Wisdom. The public setting for Wisdom’s speech is described in 8:1–3. In 8:4–11, she addresses all mankind and describes her own character. In 8:12–21, she provides reasons why people should choose her. Additional motivation is given in 8:22–31: Wisdom was with the LORD when he created the world. The section ends with Wisdom appealing to mankind to follow her teaching (8:32–36).

This section is a speech by personified Wisdom. As in Wisdom’s speech in 1:20–33, the Notes have used a capital letter for Wisdom in most verses. However, in her speech, Wisdom sometimes refers to “wisdom” as an ability that people have or use or should try to obtain. In some of these contexts, the Notes have used small letters for “wisdom.” The Display will often give more than one option. You may use either option in your language, depending on what is appropriate in each context.

Some other headings for this section are:

Wisdom’s Call (NIV)

Listen to Wisdom (NCV)

The good qualities of Wisdom

Wisdom’s second invitation to people

Paragraph 8:1–3

This paragraph describes the setting for Wisdom’s speech. The places mentioned in 8:2–3 are all places where people gathered together, where many people could listen to Wisdom’s words. This setting is similar to the one described in 1:20–21.

8:1

This verse contains parallel rhetorical questions that are similar in meaning.

^1a Does not wisdom call out,

^1b and understanding raise her voice?

8:1a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ Pay attention, because wisdom and understanding are like a person who loudly invites people to come and listen.

Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice?: These are rhetorical questions. The implied answer to both questions is an emphatic “Yes.” In some languages, this emphasis may be better expressed by a positive statement. For example:

Wisdom calls out to you like someone shouting;

understanding raises her voice (NCV)

The words wisdom and understanding often occur as a parallel pair in Proverbs. (See 2:2, 3:13, 3:19, 5:1.) For notes on wisdom personified, see 1:20a–b. For understanding (Hebrew: tǝbunah), see 2:2b. Also see understanding (good sense) in the Glossary. For call out, see 2:3a–b, and for the expression raise her voice, see 1:20a–b.

In the verses that follow, wisdom and understanding are treated as a single person/thing. If this is confusing to your readers, you may want to add a footnote that says:

In the following verses, wisdom and understanding are counted/considered as one person.

8:1a

Does not wisdom call out,

¶ Does not the one named Wisdom summon people to listen?
¶ Listen, Wisdom calls out to people everywhere.

8:1b

and understanding raise her voice?

Does not the one named Understanding call out in a loud voice?
Good Sense speaks loudly so that people/they will hear.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

הֲ⁠לֹֽא־חָכְמָ֥ה תִקְרָ֑א וּ֝⁠תְבוּנָ֗ה תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽ⁠הּ

?,not wisdom call and,understanding raise voice_of,her

Solomon is using the question form to emphasize that wisdom is available to everyone. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “Surely wisdom calls out, and understanding gives her voice!”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

הֲ⁠לֹֽא־חָכְמָ֥ה תִקְרָ֑א וּ֝⁠תְבוּנָ֗ה תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽ⁠הּ

?,not wisdom call and,understanding raise voice_of,her

Solomon is leaving out some words in the second clause that in many languages a clause would need in order to be complete. You could supply the word from the first clause if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “Does not Wisdom call out, and does not understanding give her voice”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

הֲ⁠לֹֽא־חָכְמָ֥ה תִקְרָ֑א וּ֝⁠תְבוּנָ֗ה תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽ⁠הּ

?,not wisdom call and,understanding raise voice_of,her

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. The second clause emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. Both wisdom and understanding represent the same imaginary woman. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the clauses with a word that shows that the second clause is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: [Does not wisdom call out, in other words, does not understanding give her voice] or [Surely wisdom calls out, yes, surely understanding gives her voice!]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

חָכְמָ֥ה & וּ֝⁠תְבוּנָ֗ה

wisdom & and,understanding

See how you translated the abstract nouns wisdom and understanding in [1:2](../01/02.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

תִקְרָ֑א & תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽ⁠הּ

call & raise voice_of,her

In this verse and throughout the chapter, wisdom and understanding are spoken of as if they were a person. See the discussion of such personification in the Introduction for this chapter. Alternate translation: “call out as if it were a woman … give her voice as if it were a woman”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽ⁠הּ

raise voice_of,her

See how you translated this phrase in [1:20](../01/20.md).

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.

OET interlinear PROV 8:1

Hebrew word order

Section 8:1–36: Wisdom calls out to people and reminds them of the benefits of being wise

Paragraph 8:1–3

8:1

8:1a–b

8:1a

8:1b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)